Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University has tabbed Michigan
native Marie Foster as its next head softball
coach, according to an announcement made today (June 25) by FSU
Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. She
will officially begin her duties on Tuesday (June 26).

Foster, who played collegiately at NCAA Division I Western
Michigan, has spent the past year as a private instructor and camp
director in Lansing following four years as the head softball coach
at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D.

In 2007, Foster took over a struggling Dakota Wesleyan softball
program and built a competitive team through player development and
strong recruiting along with other attributes. When Foster's
husband Jason took a new job in Michigan, she left DWU to focus on
college coaching opportunities closer to home. The
opportunity at Ferris State matched her career goals.

"We were looking for someone who not only possessed head coaching
experience, but also had proven abilities in assessing talent, who
knew the state of Michigan and could utilize our Great Lakes
Scholarship program at Ferris State," said Weisenburger. "We wanted
someone with a demonstrated ability to connect with and develop
young players and we feel this is a real strength of Marie's."

"We could not be more pleased that she accepted our offer to
become the next softball coach at Ferris State, continuing what
Keri Becker and Dawn Thompson have established and accomplished
before her," he added.

During her stint at Dakota Wesleyan, Foster's teams set numerous
school records. Additionally, she coached 16 players to
All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) accolades and her squad
received the institution's NAIA Champions of Character Award in
2010.

Foster's final team at DWU in 2011 set or tied school records in
nine categories including runs scored and team batting average
among others. She has extensive nationwide recruiting
experience and was responsible for doubling the program's operating
budget with fundraising efforts.

"I'm thrilled to be coming to Ferris State and really felt like it
was a great fit," Foster said. "I've always wanted to coach
at a school back in Michigan and that's a big reason why I left
Dakota Wesleyan. This is the exact type of position I was
looking for and I think I'll be able to step in quickly and it is
exciting."

Besides her work as the head softball coach at Dakota Wesleyan,
Foster also maintained the position of Student Success Supervisor
for the university while also developing and organizing a yearly
community service project that included more than 150
volunteers. Her tenure as head coach also including the
responsibility of planning and implementing player development
camps along with coaching clinics.

"We placed a premium on finding someone who had experience in
managing a comprehensive program that included fundraising,
scholarship & roster management, alumni relations and the day
to day interactions with student-athletes that is such an important
part of what coaches do," Weisenburger said. "The fact that Marie
also played softball at the Division 1 level and has been dedicated
to the sport for the past 10 years makes her a very good fit for
us."

A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA),
Foster served as the assistant softball coach at highly-regarded
Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge for two seasons prior
to taking over at DWU. While at Iowa Central, she held the
position of recruiting coordinator along with being the school's
director of intramurals. She helped the squad posted a 52-13
overall record and win a league championship in 2007.

Foster helped Iowa Central to a number five national ranking in
the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll and
coached one All-American along with eight all-region
honorees. She also was an instructor at the school and
developed intramural activities for more than 5,500 students on
campus.

A 2003 graduate of Western Michigan, Foster began her coaching
career as an assistant on the prep level at Lansing Everett High
School in 2003-04. She then served as the assistant coach at
Kalamazoo Valley Community College in 2004 and 2005 before working
as a softball intern at her alma mater, Western Michigan, in
2006. While at WMU, she was responsible for pregame event
management, video evaluations, alumni relations and more.

Foster also spent time as a legislative assistant in the Michigan
House of Representatives in Lansing for two years before serving as
a graduate assistant instructor in the health, physical education
and recreation department at Western Michigan from 2004-06.

During her playing career at Western Michigan, Foster was a
two-time team Coaches Award recipient and earned Mid-American
Conference (MAC) All-Tournament Team accolades in 2003 as the
Broncos captured the tournament championship. She began her
collegiate career at Lansing Community College where seh claimed
all-region kudos after leading the team to a second-place finish at
the NJCAA National Tournament in 2000.

In addition to earning a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan
in business/marketing, Foster also received her master's degree
from WMU in sport management. She has also attended the
National Fastpitch Coaches College directed by the NFCA where she's
had the opportunity to study the advanced analysis of hitting,
pitching and short-game skills along with coaching dynamics and
team practice sessions.

Foster will take over a Bulldog program that posted a 31-24
overall record during the 2012 campaign. FSU won 15 of its final 21
contests en route to reaching the championship round of the Great
Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament and
narrowly missing an NCAA Division II National Tournament bid.

"This program has an outstanding tradition and the transition will
be a lot easier with an established program," said Foster.
"I'm excited to get started and look forward to continuing to build
on the success."

WHAT THEY
ARE SAYING ABOUT MARIE FOSTER:

"I'm real excited for Marie and I know she's eager to go to
work. She's a young and well-organized coach who loves the
game and truly shows that passion. I know she'll work hard
and do a tremendous job just as she's done both as a player and
coach over the years. It's exciting to have someone like her
on your team."
- Kathy Leitke, Head Coach, Western Michigan

"Marie will do an outstanding job at Ferris State. It was
always tough to recruit in South Dakota since we do not have high
school girls softball, but she was able to bring in talented
players who all stayed in school. She did many important
things for our program beyond softball and I believe she'll do a
great job."
- Curt Hart, Athletic Director, Dakota
Wesleyan

"We were looking for someone who not only possessed head coaching
experience, but also had proven abilities in assessing talent, who
knew the state of Michigan and could utilize our Great Lakes
Scholarship program at Ferris State. We wanted someone with a
demonstrated ability to connect with and develop young players and
we feel this is a real strength of Marie's."
- Perk Weisenburger, Athletics Director, Ferris
State University

"Ferris State has had an outstanding softball program in the past
and we look forward to Marie Foster continuing to build on that
success. Her connections within the state of Michigan and previous
experience as a head coach will make the Bulldogs an exciting team
to watch in the years ahead."
- Jeff Ligney, Associate Commissioner for Media
Relations, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

"Marie is a young and hungry coach who will do an excellent
job. I know she'll run a classy program and do it the right
way. Her teams will play an agressive style and she'll be a
great hire for Ferris State."
- Rick Sandquist, Athletic Director & Former
Head Softball Coach, Iowa Central CC